Improvement in canal boats or barges



J. A. PRESTON. Canal Boat or Barge.

"No; 208,334. Patented Spt. 24, 1878.

N. PETERS. FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. C.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS A. PRESTON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANAL BOATS OR BARGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,334, datedSeptember :24, 1878; application filed March 4, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS A. PRESTON, of New Haven, in the State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Canal Boats or Barges, ofwhich the following is a specification:

Canal-boats have been made with one flat end and one inclined end, sothat the two flat ends of two boats can be brought together andconnected by hinges, and there will be less resistance in drawing thetwo boats thus coupled through the water than there would be if theywere separate. The object of thus connecting such boats is to allow themto go through short locks separately.

Large quantities of coal and other materials reach tide-water in bulk incanal boats and barges, and great risk exists ,in towing them from placeto place on the coast, because the rough water of the ocean or of soundsand lakes is liable to break these boats in pieces, or cause them toleak, and it is very difficult to draw several of these boats in a lineone after the other, because they slide toward and from each other in arolling sea and strike against each other, and this is also the casewhere they are towed side by side. I remark that the expense of towingboats or barges by steamboat from place to place is such that the numberof boats in the tow should be as large as possible to lessen the expenseper ton for transportation.

My invention is made with reference to adapting canal boats or barges tothe coasting trade, so that they can be safely towed from place toplace, and reshipment avoided.

I make use of boat-sections with flat and nearly vertical ends, and Iprovide chocks or bits in a position adapted to receive connecting ropesor hawsers, whereby a number of these boat-sections can be connected inline, and they will rise and fall with the undulations of the waveswithout receiving any undue strain'or impetus in consequence thereof,and, the fiat ends of the boat-sections coming toward each other, theywill not collide, even if in moderately close proximity, because theycannot come together until the intervening water is forced outlaterally, and, in practice, before this occurs the swell or waverolling along has moved far enough to produce a reverse action.

By this construction I am enabled practically to safely employ in thecoasting trade canal boats and barges of nearly the same weight and costin proportion to tonnage as those now in use.

In carrying this invention into practice, I have devised peculiarfeatures in the construction of each boat, whereby the strength isgreatly increased.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan of sev-- eral of said boatsections inline. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan, partially in section, of one boat.Fig. 3 is a vertical section at one end of the boat, and Fig. 4 is avertical section of one side of the boat.

The end sections or boats in the line of boats may be made somewhatsimilar to the divided canal-boats heretofore in use, each with oneinclined end and one flat end; but they are not hinged together, asheretofore usual.

The improved boat-sections are made of the ordinary or desired width anddepth, and with flat, or nearly fiat, ends a a, and it is preferable toincline them slightly, so that each section will be shorter on thebottom than on the top, to prevent contact should the connecting-ropesat the decks be too tight. There are transverse buffer-beams k,suspended between each two sections or boats, to prevent injury to theends'of the sections when they are adjacent to each other or lying at awharf and the sides of the sections or barges are made rounding, as atd, to prevent the ends catching into the dock while being moved atthe'side of the same.

Upon the decks there are the bits or chockblocks H, near the centerportions of the boatsections, and the tow is to be made up of anydesired number of these boat-sections, connected together by thelongitudinal ropes or hawsers m m, and there should be diagonal ropes nat between the bits h h, to prevent the sections getting out of line bythe action of the wind or waves.

Each boat-section maybe of a length adapted to the canal-locks, and willgenerally be rather longer than it is wide, as shown. Each boat orsection is made with reference to lightness V strength. The longitudinalbottom timbers 2 2 are connected together by the cross said sills arechanneled to receive them, and

the ends of these timbers 5 are notched, as seen in Fig. 4, and theparts secured by bolts. The upper ends of these timbers 5 are united bythe plank-shear or deck 8, and the planking 9 is upon the outside ofthese timbers 5, and a planking, 10, inside.

The ends of the boat are provided with inclined timbers 12, lying attheir lower ends against the sides of the timbers 2; and there arethwarts or ribs 13 and 14 applied at the outer and inner angles of thejunction of such timbers, as seen in Fig. 3, and the timbers 2 and 12are notched for the passage of these thwarts or ribs 13 and 14, and thediagonal bolts 15 secure the parts very firmly together, so that thereis no risk of the boat springing a leak at this point, even if thebottom comes in contact with mud or sand when in use.

It will be apparent that only one of the thwarts 13" or 14 might beused, although it is preferable to use both but in either case thethwart, being inserted into the notched timbers, serves to support thosetimbers and prevent them being displaced by pressure upon any portionofthe planking. It is to be understood that where but one thwart is usedthe planking is employed in place of the other thwart.

To aid in stifl'ening the boat against diagonal strain or concussion thebraces 16 are placed from the corners to the middle of the boat, andnotched, as shown at l7,to' pass into the upper notched edges of thetimbers 2. The interior planking 18 and 19 is of ordinary character, andthe combings or guards 20 are made in the usual manner.

I am aware that boats with rounded ends have been connected bylongitudinal lines to form a tow; but I find in practice that under theaction of the waves the round ends will collide, while the flat oneswill not, for the reason before mentioned. Furthermore, that if thesections are hinged together, or if the tow-lines are connected near theends, the hinges or lines will be broken. By connecting the tow-linesnear the middle of each bargesection, where there is but little motion,this difficulty is avoided.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The boat-sections with flat, or nearlyfiat, ends, in combination with flexible connections from the middlepart of one section to the next, to allow the separate sections to moveindependently without the risk of one section colliding with the next,the intervening water acting as a cushion, substantially as set forth.

2. The boat or barge made with the thwart 13 or 14 across the ends ofthe boat at the junction of the bottom timbers 2 and inclined endtimbers 12, secured by bolts, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 28th day of February,

JULIUS A. PRESTON. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, CHAS. H. SMITH.

